Long Range Cordless Phones

Long range cordless phones broke onto the scene in the mid-to-late '80s as customers tired of the limitations imposed by short-wave cordless phones. In the early '80s, any cordless phone was considered groundbreaking. For the first time in the history of telephony, users were free to wander about their homes and conduct normal phone conversations without being tethered to a wall or table.

As technology improved, not just in telephony, but across the board, more and more gadgets and devices began creeping into homes. Pretty soon these microwaves, stereo systems, and other goodies revealed conflicts in wave frequencies. Instead of crisp, clear communications, cordless phone users found themselves battling to be heard (and to hear) over the din of other transmitters and receivers throughout their homes. Enter long range cordless phones.

The Miracle of Long Range Cordless Phones

One of the keys to the success of long range cordless phones was an expanded frequency range authorized by the Federal Communications Commission. Instead of operating between about 45 and 50 MHz like their predecessors, long range cordless phones enjoyed a robust 900-MHz frequency that made signals both stronger and clearer. Since then, this frequency range has been increased even further to accommodate greater numbers of callers.

Today, the very concept of long range cordless phones has undergone a sea change. No longer is long range described in feet or even yards, but in miles. This is partly a result of relay technologies that effectively act as "middlemen" between bases and handsets and partly due to signal boosters and digital technology.